Wheat Halwa or Atta Halwa is a soft and rich North Indian sweet made by roasting whole wheat flour in ghee and cooking it with sugar and water. Proper roasting of the atta gives the halwa its signature nutty aroma and taste. This simple dessert uses just a few pantry ingredients and comes together quickly. Serve it warm as a dessert or as prasad during festivals and special occasions.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 3 · 3 to 4
  • Category: Desserts, Sweets
  • Cuisine: North Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup atta ((whole wheat flour))
  • ½ cup ghee ((clarified butter))
  • 1 cup sugar (or as required)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon whole cashews ((kaju) - optional)

Method

  1. Heat the ghee in a heavy bottomed kadai or pan.
  2. Add whole wheat flour to the hot ghee and start roasting it.
  3. Meanwhile, take sugar and water in another pan.
  4. Keep this pan on a medium to high flame and let the solution come to a boil.
  5. Fry the atta stirring continuously till its color changes and you get the aroma of roasted whole wheat flour.
  6. Keep on stirring the flour to ensure even browning.
  7. In the meanwhile keep your eyes also on the sugar solution.
  8. If the mixture starts to boil, then lower the flame and let it simmer.
  9. The atta or whole wheat flour should turn golden and give a good fragrance. Plus also begins to release ghee.
  10. Increase the flame to high for the sugar solution to bubble and when it starts to bubble in a matter of seconds, immediately add it to the hot atta mixture.
  11. Be careful as the mixture has the tendency to splutter.
  12. Continue to stir with all your hand force, so that no lumps are formed.
  13. Atte ka halwa will absorb water and continue to thicken quickly.
  14. Keep on stirring. So that lumps are not formed.
  15. When wheat halwa is semi thick or thick like a sooji halwa, switch off the fire.
  16. Serve atte ka halwa hot or warm.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.